Thoughts of a Reader

This is the first novel I have read by this author. The main story revolves around a cold case of a missing girl. I find cold cases interesting because I am curious what happened and why it could not be solved sooner so that is what really drew me into reading this book. Each chapter is titled one of three characters’ names: Heather, Faith and Dora. I am glad it is only three since they are all women because anymore than that and it becomes hard to keep up with who you are reading about. Throughout this book, you learn that sometimes things are not always what they seem. I also think there is a lesson in forgiveness as well as letting go and giving things over to God. I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

I am a big fan of books by Virginia Vaughan. The action in this book starts at the very beginning. I am surprised at how close to the beginning the secret that Abby is keeping comes out. However since it is mentioned on the back of the book, it is not that big of a deal to the reader and I don’t think changes the enjoyment of the story. The suspect in this book was challenging to figure out. There were a lot of possibilities including the idea that there was more than one suspect. This was definitely a good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

I am a big fan of books by Laurel Blount. Her books are sweetly romantic and have an awesome family feel to them. The main character, Ryder, in this book has just recently been given custody of his twin nephews and he is looking for a nanny to help him out. The nanny, Elise, in this book is so well written and has a Mary Poppins quality to her. I really love how they interact in the beginning and also seeing how their relationship evolves. However, one of my favorite characters is actually a secondary character. It is Ruby Sawyer. She is the woman who took Ryder in when he needed a good home. This novel drew me in to the point where I felt every emotion that the characters felt and then some. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

Targeted consists of three novellas which are not connected in anyway but the fact that they are suspense. I love all three of these authors so when I saw them all in the same book I was excited. Since there are three different stories in this book, I am going to review each one separately.

On the Run by Lynette Eason is the first novella in this novel. The suspense starts from the first page in this novella which I appreciate since novellas are short. I am also excited that at least a small portion of this story takes place in North Carolina. There is definitely a puzzle to figure out with this plot. This one read quickly and had short chapters.

Deadly Objective by Lynn H. Blackburn is the second novella in this book. Unlike the first novella, this one builds to the suspense which starts with the last sentence of the first chapter. It also has short chapters which is typical of novellas. I enjoyed the romance between Emily and Liam. They have a way of introducing humor to lighten an intense situation. I also think that Mason, the son of the Vice President, added his own humor to the story to break up some of the suspense.

Caught in the Crosshairs by Natalie Walters is the third and final novella. The suspense in this one was pretty much between the first and second novella in that it didn’t start on page one but it started well before the end of chapter one. Even though this novella also has short chapters, they seem longer to me. I think it is because so much happens in each one. Ari and Claudia play off each other well in this book and seem to have a love-hate relationship.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this collection of novellas. It has something that will appeal to anyone who likes suspense or mystery with some romance mixed in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.